A1
Conservative *
Two years ago
ADOPT IOWA
PRECEDENT. the state of Iowa
became convinced
of the mismanagement resulting from
the system , then in vogne , of controlling
state institutions and , very sensibly ,
agreed to make a radical change. The
chief difficulty there was , as it is now in
our own state , the mixing of politics
with business. Party service determined
the choice of the head officers and em
ployees of the various institutions. In
selecting one to take charge of a hospital
for the insane , the individual's fitness
for the special work , his knowledge of
mental diseases was of infinitely less
importance than the extent of his party
service as shown by the endorsement of
campaign committees. Faithful and
diligent ante-election work in behalf of
the appointive power graciously com
pensated for any lack of medical
knowledge or experience.
The tax-payers of Iowa , wearying of
paying for incompetency and mal
administration , in 1898 elected a legis
lature which enacted a law to correct
abuses by placing the responsibility of
managing and controlling state institu
tions in the hands of a non-partisan
Board of Control. Believing that a
similar statute is needed in Nebraska
and many other states , THE CONSERVA
TIVE gives the following epitome of the
Iowa law , in the hope that our law
makers will give it diligent and careful
perusal :
The board of control shall consist of
three members , appointed by the gover
nor with the consent
How Appointed.
sent of two-thirds
of the senate. Not more than two mem
bers of the board shall belong to the
same political party. The members of
the initial board shall be appointed for
terms of two , four and six years re
spectively , subsequent appointments to
ba made for the full term of six years.
Nominations , before consideration by
the senate , must be referred to a com
mittee of five , not more than three of
whom shall belong to the same political
party. The salary of each member of
the board is $3,000 per annum , payable
monthly.
While the legislature is in session , the
governor may , with the consent of the
_ . senate , remove a
Removal.
member of the
board for malfeasance or any other
cause which makes him unfit to hold
office. "When the legislature is not in
session , the governor may suspend the
officer and make an appointment to fill
the vacancy , subject to the action of the
senate at the next session. All ap
pointments made during the interim of
the legislature shall expire thirty days
after the convening of the same when
they shall be filled in the usual manner.
Members of the board must take an
oath to faithfully perform the duties of
their offices and
Oatli. , . .
% 11 i.
shall devote all
their time to the same. They are re
quired to give bond in the sum of
$25,000 and are disbarred from holding
any other lucrative state position during
their terms of office or for one year
thereafter.
The board of control is subject to
examination by the joint committee on
retrenchment and reform created by the
Iowa code. No person shall be excused
from testifying at such an inquiry on
the ground that his testimony might
incriminate himself.
The board shall be provided with
offices at the seat of government and
Ofllccs. nmy . employ . a
secretary , at a
salary not to exceed $2,000 per annum ,
and such other clerical help as may be
necessary and may purchase the needed
office supplies , presenting to the legisla
ture an itemized statement of such ex
penditure to the end that the legislature
may in the future fix the maximum
amount. The state shall defray the
traveling expenses of members of the
board and clerks in visiting the various
institutions and other places in the state
on official business. For all trips out
side the state the board must first agree
upon the expediency of the same and
the written permission of the governor
must be secured in order to charge the
expenditure to the state.
The board shall have an official seal
and affix same to all official papers. It
_ , , _ . , . shall have full
Exclusive Control.
power to manage ,
control and govern , subject only to the
limitations contained in this act , the
soldiers' home , the state hospitals for
the insane , the college for the blind , the
school for the deaf , the institution for
the feeble-minded , the soldiers' orphans'
home , the industrial home for the blind ,
the industrial school , in both depart
ments , and the state penitentiaries.
The board shall prepare an annual
statement , showing the cost of main
taining state institutions , making im
provements , etc. , itemizing same as far
as possible and showing the cost of the
various kinds of provisions and supplies.
The board or a committee thereof
shall , at least once every six months ,
visit and inspect various state institu
tions , investigate financial conditions ,
carefully examine into all the details of
management , talk with inmates , giving
them an opportunity for private hear
ings if requested. The board or its
authorized agents shall visit monthly
the hospitals for the insane.
The board shall make a biennial re
port to the governor and legislature
, . . . _ . upon its observa-
Biennial Report.
tions and conclu
sions relative to the various institutions
and shall include with it the reports of
the heads of institutions. It shall keep
in its office a complete account of all the
expenditures at each institution and
shall prepare a biennial estimate for the
legislature , showing the amount of
appropriation required for the succeeding
bieunium and suggest such legislation as
it may deem helpful to the better con
trol of the several institutions. The
board shall not in any case expend more
than the amount appropriated by the
legislature. A violation of this pro
vision shall constitute a misdemeanor.
The superintendents of the various
institutions shall meet every three
, months with the
Consultation. , , , . ,
board at its office
for consultation in regard to bettering
the efficiency and improving the economy
of management of their respective
institutions.
The board shall employ an architect ,
at a salary not to exceed $8,000 per
annum , skilled in the most improved
methods of sanitation and competent to
prepare plans for buildings and improve
ments , who shall attend to the work
usually performed by an architect. In
exceptional cases the board may em
ploy a consulting architect at an expense
not to exceed $1,600 per annum.
The board shall appoint the chief
executive officers of the various institutions -
_ . , _ . . . . . tions for terms of
Heads of Institutions.
four years , who
may in turn be removed by the board
for incompetency or neglect of duty ,
but only after written charges shall
have been preferred and a hearing
granted. The removal , when made ,
shall be final.
The board shall collect data relative
to the best methods of caring for the
various classes of individuals under their
control , encourage scientific investiga
tion for the treatment of insanity and
publish from time to time a bulletin of \
the same. < ,
No member of the board or officer or
agent thereof , and no superintendent , $
officer , manager or ;
employee.of any of \
the institutions shall directly or indirect
ly receive for himself or any institution ,
a gift of any description from any per
son or corporation who are dealers in
goods which may be used in such insti
tution. A violation of this provision
shall constitute a misdemeanor.
Members of the board or officers or
employees of the several institutions
. . . . , , . , under the control
Political Influence. , , . . . .
thereof shall not
directly or indirectly seek to influence ,
politically , any other officer or employee
or contribute any money or anything of
value for election purposes. A violation
of this provision means dismissal.
The superintendent or chief executive
officer of the several institutions shall
appoint all assistants and other em
ployees , the number of whom shall be
determined by the board and their
salaries fixed by the governor and board.
